Car-coupling.



W. F. RICHARDS.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, was.

1,16%,fifi. Patented Dec. 21, 1915. my

flffomeya WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF DEPEW, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed September 8, 1913. Serial N 0. 788,499.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Depew, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and'useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in look operating mechanisms for car couplers of the kind shown, for example, inmy pending application for patent, No. 725,575, filed Oct. 14:, 1912, in which the vertically movable knuckle lock can be operated from the bottom of the coupler. The operating device is, however, not limited in its use to couplers of this kind.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and practical lock operating mechanism for car couplers which is adapted for use in connection with an actuating lever of the kind that is arranged transversely of the car to swing in a vertical plane parallel with the end of the car; and also to construct the mechanism so that it can be readily placed in operative connection with the actuating lever on the car, and so that the mechanism will operate freely and will not be strained or caused to bind by reason of the movements of the coupler on the car.

In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1 and 2 are fragmentary front elevations, partly in section, of a car having a coupler operating mechanism embodying the invention and showing the parts of the mechanism in different positions. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

A represents a car coupler, and b the buffer beam or end sill of a car to which the coupler is applied. The coupler shown has the usual horizontally swinging knuckle a and a knuckle lock a which is slidable vertically in the coupler head into and out of engagement with the tail of the knuckle, and which, in its lower position shown in Fig. 1, looks the knuckle and, in its upper position shown in Fig. 2, releases the knuckle.

C represents a lock lifting rod or link which extends up through an opening in the floor of the coupler head and is connected at its upper end to the lock, preferably by a knob or rounded portion 0 at the upper end of the lifting rod loosely fitting in a correspondingly shaped socket c in the lock.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21,1915.

These parts of the coupler are similar to the corresponding parts of the coupler and are more fully described in my above mentioned co-pending application. The coupler could, however, be of other construction havably pivoted by a pin d to cars d on one side of the coupler head. The lifting rod is thus guided in its movement into and out of the coupler head by the knuckle lock and the lever D, both the rod or pin and the lever moving in a vertical plane extending transversely of the coupler.

E represents the actuating lever of the lock operating mechanism. This lever, as usual, extends transversely of the car and is fulcrumed in a bracket 6 secured to the car, so as to swing in vertically. In the construction shown this lever consists of two parts 6 and 6 the part 6 being pivoted intermediate of its ends in the bracket 6 and having a part extending toward the side of the car, and the part c of the lever be ing also pivoted in the bracket 6 and extending toward the coupler head. The two parts of the lever are connected by a projecting portion 6 formed on the inner end of the part c" and embracing the lower face of the part 6 so that when the outer end of the part c of the lever is depressed, it will raise the part c of the lever and cause it to swing about its pivot.

The inner end of the actuating lever E has a sliding connection with the guide lever D, consisting, as shown, of the reduced inner end f of thepart c of the actuating lever E projecting into a loop or eye f formed on the end of the guide devices of this kind heretofore used lies in thefaetthat all of thepartsof the 1601:- operating mechanism are arranged to move i in substantially parallel planes which re- 'duces the friction in the'par ts and; prevents any of the parts from binding or becoming jammed. The lock operating mechani'snris',"

therefore, easily operated and there is less Wear onj the parts thereof. ment of the parts to move in parallel planes also prevents any twisting dine-"bearingpins connecting the links when the coupler car round a brave, anathagaraids the'ptss to insert the-reduced inner end or the lever The arrange- F into theeye f of the lever D on the coupler.

I-clai1n as-my invention: I

The combination with a car coupler having a knuckle lock, of a rod passing through an opening in the bottom of the coupler for actuating said lock, a guide lever pivoted on the coupler head to swing in a vertical plane extending,transversely of the coupler'aildoperatively connected to said rod, and an actuating lever pivoted on the car to. swing in a vertical plane transversely thereofand'operatively connected with said guide, lever and rod.

W'it'ness my hand, this at day of September', 1913. I a v WVILL'ARD F. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

DloNALi), C. DAVIS,

'B': BRIMMER.

caaiaa eflmg heirmaybe wanna 1 1a; ags am, by aaressmg ai Commissioner of Patents, Wasfiihgtth, n; c." 

